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Tuesday 11th April 2017

Easter Egg Chocolate cake

Sponge base

Oil for greasing

4 large free-range eggs, separated

175g caster sugar, plus extra for dredging

130g self-rising flour, sifted

30 g good quality cocoa powder

Pinch of crushed sea salt

150ml whipping cream

Chocolate cream icing

600ml whipping cream

30g cocoa powder

30g icing sugar

Chocolate

2 Easter egg shells broken up into small pieces

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F/gas mark 4. Grease and line two 20cm sponge tins with baking parchment.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until pale creamy and double in volume (ribbon stage).

Fold in the flour and cocoa in small batches using a large metal spoon. Repeat until all the flour is combined. Fold in the salt.

Divide the mixture between the two lined tins and bake for 20 minutes until well risen. Remove from the oven; turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

Set up a bowl over a pan of hot water and add half the broken up Easter egg shells (1 chocolate egg) and leave to gently melt so the chocolate is just warm and runny.

Whip the cream caster sugar and cocoa powder to soft peaks place one sponge base on a large plate then take one third of the cream mixture and put in a separate bowl pour and fold in half the melted chocolate and spread over one of the cooled sponges, scatter over some broken chocolate pieces then top with the remaining cooled sponge.

Now’s the fun part, take a palette knife and spread your cream icing all over the cake, to create a smooth finish for a top tip when the sponge is covered pop it in the fridge for 5 mins to firm up the cream then remove and with a hot pallet knife (one that has been heated up in some boiling water) smooth the edges and the top!

Take the remaining cream icing and pop in a piping bag decorate around the edge of the top of cake and around the base, Using a triangle of greaseproof paper make a small piping bag fill with remaining melted chocolate and pipe HAPPY EASTER on top of cake finish off the top of cake with remaining chocolate shell pieces around the edge!